Light in the Shadows
by mozartmaid
Summary: This is a prequel to my fic 'Blurring the Lines.' Told from Lois' POV, it covers the time from the end of Stiletto to Doomsday.
1. Chapter 1

**Prequel to "Blurring the Lines": **_**Light in the Shadows**_

_**Rating: **_**PG-13**

_**Summary:**_ This story is from Lois' POV, though not in first person. It covers the time from Stiletto to Doomsday. 'Blurring the Lines' can be found here.

_**Disclaimer:**_ All characters belong to WB. Some dialogue and situation taken from episodes Stiletto and Doomsday, written by Caroline Dries, Kelly Sounders, and Brian Peterson. Written for fun and not for profit.

~\S/~

"_My editor would kill me. But I don't want this story. What I've really been wondering is – what is it you need?"_

Lois replayed the conversation in her mind, surprising even herself that she hadn't wanted to push the Blur for a story. She hadn't realized it until the words were out of her mouth, but what she really cared about was understanding _him_. How did he manage to do it every day, saving people—and on more than one occasion, saving her? Each time it had happened, she had tried to remember the exact moment, the ephemeral second when he had held her in his arms, snatching her away from a bullet or an out-of-control car. She could barely remember those whispers of sensation on her skin: strong arms wrapped around her, all too briefly. She had really only felt safety and comfort… Sometimes she thought she could remember him standing over her, gently brushing back her hair as she fought her way back from unconsciousness… but he would always disappear before she could confirm his presence.

She realized early on that his anonymity was for the best. Lois was known for taking risks in general, but if the criminal element of Metropolis thought she knew the Blur personally—she would immediately become a target. She had understood the reasons for his secrecy, and yet had quickly embraced the idea of having her own personal hero—even if she could never meet him.

But she had sensed something so—fundamentally _good_ about being saved by him, something about the man himself drew her to defend him in the pages of the Daily Planet whenever she could. Still, the impressions he left on her, those moments of absolute comfort in his arms, compelled her to want to know him, even against her better judgment. So she became eager for any contact with the Blur, even if it was only through a phone booth and a voice scrambler.

Because, what she wondered most of all was – _why had the Blur chosen to look after_ her_? _

And why had he finally agreed to talk to her?

She realized and said as much to the Blur, that he was probably lonely, unable to share his secrets with anyone. And yet, she knew he was a force for good. If he weren't, he could have easily abused his powers and done real harm to Metropolis. But instead… he had taken upon himself the burden of becoming Metropolis' sworn protector.

She wondered why he had taken an interest in her at all. And that trust made her realize she could and would never use her connection to the Blur for a story, unless it was to help him. She didn't want to expose the Blur or share his secrets with the world. For once, she didn't want to expose the truth and splash it across the pages of the Daily Planet—and that was what stunned her, what kept her staring at the paper that the Blur had magically dropped at her feet with her invitation to talk to him.

The Blur was so much more than a story.

Because the Blur was _her _hero…

~\S/~

The next morning, Lois couldn't keep the grin off of her face, even as she sat down to get to work. She had indulged in fantasizing about who the Blur really was as she had gone off to sleep last night, and the magic of that first phone call hadn't worn off, even with the morning sun. She had no idea when she might hear from the Blur again, but she hoped it would be soon.

Lois' practical side warned that she was playing with fire. She didn't really know who he was, and yet, she implicitly trusted him. How could she not? After saving her bacon so many times, the least she could do was give him the benefit of the doubt. She knew he was one of the good guys.

Yet there was another danger here, too. One that she was already teetering close to the edge of doing-falling for him. Even Lois scoffed at her ridiculous notion that she could love an invisible hero—yet, she knew, there was a part of her that was inexplicably drawn to him.

As she chomped on a maple-glazed donut, her mind started wandering… She wondered what the Blur actually looked like. Again, those too brief moments in his arms came back to her – she was certain he was tall, broad-shouldered… She imagined he was -

"Hey Lois," Clark said, setting down some papers on his desk, snatching her out of her daydream. He flashed today's paper at her, pointing to their story on sacking the money launderers the other night. Miraculously Lois had managed to stop her Stiletto story from going to press—but they still ended up with a good headline. "Looks like you made deadline," he said, with a teasing smile. "And no Stiletto marks to cover up."

"Ha, ha," she said humorously, slightly irked that Clark had interrupted her Blur fantasy. But then she remembered the price of her Stiletto foolishness- Clark getting in the way of a bullet meant for her, and she backed down.

"Donut?" she asked, pushing the box towards him. She felt herself blush guiltily for a moment, dying to ask how he was feeling, but unable to utter her thoughts.

"Sure," he said, reaching for the box. He didn't seem encumbered by his wound, but she still cried out for him.

"Clark! Be careful!" she cried out. "Don't want you to risk opening up that—" she swallowed, unable to say the word. "Just take it easy, okay?"

He nodded, and scrunched his brow in what looked like slight pain.

Lois looked away, and searched for another topic. She glanced reflexively at her cell phone. How would the Blur get her a message? How would she know to go to the phone booth again? She decided she would go at 10 tonight, just like last night, in case he wanted to call her.

"Expecting a call?" Clark asked, with an unexplained amused grin on his face.

Lois felt her cheeks flush, "Y—I mean, it's none of your business, Smallville."

He lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry I asked."

She relented a bit and gave him a small smile. "No, I'm sorry, Clark. Just—a little jumpy after last night I guess."

"Lois, even though I'm relieved that Stiletto has hung up her boots, I'm glad you were there last night. If you hadn't shown up when you had… well, I don't know what would have happened."

She gave him a genuine smile this time, "Any time, Smallville," she said, taking another bite of her maple donut.

A new email popped into her account. Like the dozens she received a day, this one was from one of her police friends giving her a heads up.

"Bruno Mannheim to be released on bail…" she read aloud. "Oh hell no. I don't care who he is- owner of the Ace of Clubs or not- he should not get away with what he did to you that easy!"

"Lois, where are you going?" Clark asked in a warning voice, seeing her make a move to grab her coat.

"To talk to the DA. Ray Sacks has some explaining to do about his cozy relationship with Metropolis' mob bosses!"

"Lois, let me go with you?" He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.

"So you can slow me down? I don't think so, Inspector Gadget. Just keep the home fires burning. I'll be back soon enough with a headline," she said, throwing on a scarf as she turned towards the elevators.

~\S/~

Lois felt her blood beginning to boil with anger as she stepped into the Metropolis Court House. She had considered Ray Sacks to be the makings of a great story if she could prove his dirty dealings. She'd been collecting a notebook on him for months.

But this was going too far. Not only had Mannheim been arrested for creating counterfeit money, but he'd been laundering it through the Ace of Clubs. Not to mention the personal assault charges that Jimmy had pressed. Clark, the sweet guy that he was, said he was just glad to get out of there alive.

But if Smallville wouldn't stand up for himself, then Lois would have to do it for him.

"I'm here to see the District Attorney, Ray Sacks," she demanded unceremoniously to the secretary.

The young buxom blonde looked up from filing her nails, an unapologetic look of contempt on her face. "Ray Sacks don't see no one unannounced," she said, with a heavy accent that indicated she was born and raised near Suicide Slum.

Lois narrowed her glare and lowered her voice, demanding blondie's attention. "I'm not just anyone. I'm—"

"Lois Lane," she turned as she heard her name spoken behind her in smooth tones.

"Ray Sacks," she snapped in retort, facing him with her hands on her hips in defiance.

"I've been wondering when you'd pay me a visit," he said with a lift of his eyebrow.

"I'm here to know why Mannheim got released on bail. There was plenty charged against him to keep him in jail for life."

Patronizingly, Sacks draped his arm around Lois' shoulders, and she resisted the urge to shake him off. He steered her towards his office. "Miss Lane, the dealings of a city is complicated business. Sometimes, what seems a poor choice is really what's best for all involved."

Lois shrugged him off her and turned to face him squarely. "You're telling me that assault and money laundering and God knows what else, gets a free ride in this city? I know you're playing for the wrong team, Sacks, and one of these days, I'm going to prove it," she said boldly.

His face turned serious, as he stepped closer to her. "I'd back off if I were you, Miss Lane. Sometimes, children who put their noses where they don't belong get hurt." He turned away from her, and picked up a cigar and cutter from his desk. "Now, get out of my office," he said, not looking at her.

Lois, feeling more threatened than she wanted to admit, left the office-but not before she had scored a picture with her mini-camera of some plans that had been lying on his desk.

Sacks didn't know that he was playing with fire when he decided to tangle with the great Lois Lane.

~\S/~

"Jimmy!" Lois called out as soon as she hit the bullpen.

She made a beeline to her desk, taking off her coat and scarf on the way. She noticed that Clark had gone, but suppressed a sigh of disappointment. She didn't need him here anyway, getting in the way of her pursuing her next great story.

"Jimmy!" she called again, this time with some exasperation that he wasn't responding right away.

At last, he came around the corner, a camera dangling around his neck. "What is it, Lois? Karl in Travel wanted me to go with him—"

"Forget Karl. I need you here," she passed him her phone. "I got this picture, but it's not as clear as I need it to be. I need your professional eye to see if you can get a better resolution on it."

Jimmy hesitated a moment, and then shrugged his shoulders, giving in as he always did to Lois' requests.

"Get your USB connector. We'll have a look at it in my work room."

~\S/~

Some thirty minutes later, Lois was losing patience with the camera software Jimmy was playing with. "Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I didn't get anything good," she said with disappointment.

"No, hold on. The angle was a little off, but I think… there. Still a little fuzzy but—" Jimmy glanced at Lois. "What is it?"

"It's the facility under the Ace of Clubs – where you and Clark-," she couldn't finish, remembering how Clark had dodged in front of a bullet to save her. "Anyway, it's the plans for that place. I think the DA knew about it all along. Of course, he's working with Mannheim! …Or for him? I wonder which way it goes? Who pulls the strings?" she said, thinking aloud. She turned to Jimmy decisively. "Jimmy, we need to go back to that facility tonight. We need to see if it's operational again or if there are any clues—"

Jimmy lifted his hands in refusal, "Oh no, Lois. I'm not getting involved. Besides, what good would it do to go snooping around there? Wasn't Mannheim sent to prison?"

Lois relished his reaction as she shook her head. "That's why I went to the DA's office. Mannheim was released on bail. I smell a rat. And I'm pretty sure his name is Ray Sacks."

Jimmy sighed, sensing that Lois was on the verge of getting herself into some more hot water. "Lois, please just let this story drop. We all had a rough night last night, and your whole Stiletto thing… haven't you had enough adventure for one week?"

"Little do you know, Jimmy. The week's just gotten started," she said, hitting the print button on her newly edited photo.

"Just… be careful," Jimmy said helplessly.

"I'm always careful," she said, getting up to leave after the photo printed. "Thanks for your help, Jimmy."

~\S/~

Lois didn't run into Clark the whole rest of the day, for which she was almost relieved. She knew if she breathed a word to him what she was up to, he'd try and stop her. Clark was great to work with, but he could be a little overprotective at times.

Still, she didn't mean to go into this completely alone. She hoped to talk to the Blur that evening before she went to the Ace of Clubs, just in case she needed some backup.

Only a little slither of guilt crept into her heart, worrying that the Blur would think she was making him her bodyguard. But still, if anything happened to her, she knew she could count on him to get her out of a jam.

She got to the phone booth she had first talked to him at 9:55. There was no pre-set plan, but she hoped that he'd call…

She waited patiently-

Until 10:01.

"Please call," she sighed, suddenly worrying about chasing down this story all alone. Maybe she should have waited until she could have spoken to Clark about it or even Oliver…

The phone suddenly sprang to life, jarring her out of her thoughts.

"Hello?" she answered. "Is it really you?"

"Lois, how did you know I'd call?" the Blur asked with some surprise.

She shrugged her shoulders, but then said, "I didn't. I just hoped you would. I'm glad to see you didn't disappoint me."

"Lois, is there some reason you wanted to speak to me?"

"Well, actually, yes. I mean—I admit that talking to you is a little overwhelming, but I just feel—that I can trust you."

"I appreciate that, Lois. I know I can trust you as well."

She smiled, and then brought herself back to the reason she had wanted to speak with him. "Here's the deal: my friend was shot last night. He's okay, but the guy that shot him was released on bail. I think he's working with the DA and I mean to expose them both."

"Lois, that sounds dangerous—"

"Which is why I'm telling you what I plan to do. I saw pictures of the plans of the facility that Clark—my partner—got shot in last night."

"Partner?" the Blur interrupted, with some amusement in his voice. "I thought you worked alone?"

Lois realized she had misspoken a bit, and tried to backpedal Clark's rank in her life. "Well, he was my intern. But he's quite good at his job – better than anyone expected him to be, actually. Myself included… and, well, we work well together. So sometimes partner, how's that?"

"Just tell me what you plan to do."

"Right. Well, I plan on heading back to that facility and see if it's operational again. If it is, it will definitely prove, along with my photo, that the DA is involved with Mannheim!" she finished triumphantly.

The Blur suddenly sounded very worried. "Lois – please, don't go back there. It's too dangerous."

"You could be my wingman," she gently suggested. "I mean, I'm sure you're busy and all—but if I need the backup?"

"Lois, I—can't."

"Can't or won't?" she asked, a mounting fear growing in the pit of her stomach.

"Both. Lois, I'm sorry. There's a reason—" he stopped, seemingly hesitant.

"You can trust me, I promise."

"Look, just promise you won't actually go inside?" he said, changing the subject slightly.

"I may. Depends. I need to get the necessary incriminating photos. But if you're that concerned, I'll be careful."

"I'd rather you not go at all, Lois. I can't always protect you."

"I'm not asking you to. I—I just can't let this mobster get off Scott free. Not after what he did to Clark. Smallville's too nice of a guy to do anything about it. But not me."

"Smallville?" he asked, and she could almost hear the smile in his voice.

"Yeah, it's sort of a pet name that stuck. Clark is… well, let's just say that it's not Smallville when he's not there."

"Lois, I know you mean well, and it's admirable to want to fix the injustices in the world, just please promise me, you'll be careful."

"Of course I will… and, should I expect another call from you tomorrow night?" she asked, trying to keep her hopefulness out of her voice.

"I can't always promise, Lois. But I will try. Some nights we may miss each other. And Lois?"

"Yes?"

"I'll always do my best to watch over you."

~\S/~

Lois climbed to the roof of outbuilding that she had swung in through the glass ceiling of the night before. A large gray tarp was over the area, so she couldn't see directly inside. But she could hear someone speaking in the room below. It was definitely in use.

She crouched down and carefully lifted the tarp, so as not to attract attention from those below her. She could see Ray Sacks talking to Mannheim! Lois suppressed a gasp of excitement, and readied her camera. She silently clicked photos, all the while thinking up a juicy headline.

"Mob boss in cahoots with shady Sacks"

"Sacks' secret dealings with Mannheim Mob"

"Money hungry mob deals with dirty DA"

Or…

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She flipped herself over, only to come face to face with a pistol.

"The boss is not going to like this one bit," said the thug. "Aren't you that reporter chick who's been causing trouble for some of my friends lately?"

"I'll cause you some more trouble if you don't let me go," she said defiantly, though she could feel her heart about to thud out of her chest with fear.

The thug laughed, relaxing his grip on the pistol, giving Lois the in she needed to kick up in the air and nail him in the crotch.

As he doubled over in pain, she got up and scrambled for the fire escape ladder. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, came another heavy. He was able to grab her, and had a knife to her throat in a matter of seconds.

"Not so fast, cupcake. The boss would like a word with you first," he said, tugging her inside the building.

"The Red-Blue Blur will stop you," she said with forced bravado, managing to step on his toes with her heel. But it only made him hold her tighter.

"Spiteful b*tch!" he yelped, gripping her tighter. "Don't tempt me to cut your throat now, with or without the boss' approval."

That tempered her enough to at least let him lead her down the staircase into the room below.

"Look what I found, Boss," said the thug, obviously proud of his get.

The pair turned towards the ruffian. Lois noticed a stack of abnormally green cash in Mannheim's fist.

"Well, well. If it isn't the lovely Miss Lane come to visit. I thought you understood my warning earlier," said Sacks, with a sneer.

"Yeah, well, I've never been good at taking orders," she mumbled, the knife still held at her throat.

Mannheim gestured to his thug. "Tie her up in the corner over there," he said, licking his thumb as he prepared to count another handful of bills. "We're almost finished here. We'll deal with her in a minute."

Fearing a nick if she made a false move, Lois let herself be carried over to a wooden chair. At last she could breathe normally as the thug let go of the knife long enough to tie her hands tight. He came around to tie her feet and she managed to kick him square in the chest, causing him to fall over.

"Hey, what's going on over here?" asked Mannheim, coming over with a pistol out. "Do you want to die right here, Miss Lane?"

She mutely shook her head, fear clenching her belly at the sight of another pistol aimed at her head.

"Then I suggest you let Ralph do his job."

Ralph got up and again made a second attempt at tying her legs to the chair. Lois wanted to struggle, but then she realized that if they turned back to whatever they had been discussing, she might learn more of their plan. Besides, she might have a better chance of escaping without their eyes focused on her.

After seeing to her being securely tied up, they walked back over to the counterfeit money printer, resuming their conversation in low tones. "We can print enough money here to fund your re-election campaign and then some, Mr. Sacks. And with the money the Ace pulls in, well, we do a little mixing, and the Feds will never know the difference," Mannheim said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Lois watched as Sacks considered the idea. "I don't want a single greenback traceable to my office, you hear? Everything has to appear legit."

"Scout's honor," Mannheim said, half seriously. "Besides, I owe you for busting me out of the slammer. Did they ever find that Stiletto chick?"

"There wasn't a mention of her in the paper today, which I find suspicious. But I have my men looking for her."

Lois tried to hide her alarm, realizing exactly the kind of danger she had put herself in by pretending to be a superhero. Clark had been right. She hated it when he was right…

Suddenly, she felt hands on her ties, undoing them. She turned, almost half-expecting to see the Blur himself behind her, but was surprised to see instead Green Arrow, aka Oliver Queen.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered tersely.

"Saving your hide. Keep still while I cut the ropes on your feet," he whispered back.

As Ollie bent over her feet to uncut them, suddenly a shot rang out.

She heard a terse, "Damn," come from him, just as he finished untying her ropes. "Lois – run!" he commanded, and she noted with horror that he had been shot through the shoulder.

"I'm not leaving you here," she said, quickly reaching behind him to grab his compound bow off his back. She had little experience with bows and arrows, but she knew these were pre-set to aim and shoot.

"How hard can it be?" she muttered to herself.

"This Lane chick is something else," said Mannheim with some amusement, his gun casually in his hand as he gestured towards them. "Hey look, Sacks. We may get two for the price of one."

Lois acted fast, seeing this as possibly their only moment to escape.

_Where the hell was the Blur?_ She wondered silently.

Lois locked on to the trigger, but at the very last second, shot nearly directly upwards towards the tarp, causing all in the room to look up as the tarp was snagged down over top them.

"Go!" she whispered brusquely, as she pushed Oliver towards a back entrance during the momentary distraction.

"They're going to come after us," he said needlessly. Suddenly he stopped and pulled out a foldable grappling arrow that he aimed above them. "Grab on."

Lois clung onto him as they were pulled up and over to the balcony at the Ace of Clubs by his anchored arrow. "Come on. It will be harder for them to find us inside," Oliver said, taking her by the hand.

He led her to the back towards the men's room. "Ladies' is always full. At least here, we have a chance of hiding for a bit," he said, somewhat apologetically.

Lois didn't hesitate and just nodded her acquiescence.

As soon as they were inside, Oliver scanned the bathroom. Seeing it was empty, he blocked the handle with one of his weapons. It would keep the average guest from coming in, but any serious pressure would knock it out of place.

Lois could now see, in the fullness of the florescent lighting, just how badly Oliver was hurt.

"First Clark, and now you…" she said, her voice full of self-recrimination. "You'd think I'd listen after a while… How you holding up?" she asked, turning on the water to soak a paper towel. "This will only clean the surface. We have to get you to a hospital or—"

"No. I can't go to a hospital dressed like this, Lois. You know that. There—there's someplace I can go, but," he shook his head, which was now dripping with sweat as he seemed to be suppressing showing how much pain he was in.

"You can trust me, Ollie," Lois said softly, hearing the echo of her words to the Blur. Sure, she trusted the men in her life, but how often had they trusted her?

"I know, Legs," he said, his speech starting to slur from the pain.

"You only call me Legs when you are really a mess… We've got to get you out of here… Can I call Clark?" she asked with some trepidation, an unspoken question on her lips, as she nodded slightly at his Green Arrow getup.

_Does he know you're Green Arrow?_ She wondered, recalling the night her dreams of reuniting with Ollie had literally been shattered by the strange assassin woman who had the ability to smash glass with her voice. Lois would never forget the moment she realized who Oliver really was – and knew that they could never be together for precisely reasons like the situation they were in now.

After a moment's hesitation, Oliver nodded.

Lois pulled out her Blackberry, discouraged to see no signal. She walked over to the small window on the far side of the bathroom, and eventually had a few bars of available service.

"Clark? It's Lois," she said, glancing worriedly at Oliver who was half-sitting on the sink, his head against the mirror. He held a wad of paper towels against his shoulder where he'd been shot, but she could see that he wasn't doing too well.

"Lois, where are you?" Clark's voice brought her back to the conversation. He sounded worried.

"I'm at the Ace of Clubs. With Oliver. He's—badly hurt, Clark. I don't know how to get us out of here. Maybe you can inform the police about Mannheim and Sacks' dealings… I don't know. Sacks' thugs are probably still after us. I don't know how much time we may have…"

Lois suddenly heard a whoosh of air, and Oliver was gone.

"The Blur," she said with awe. "Clark, it may be okay. I think the Blur just rescued Oliver."

"Sit tight, Lois. I'm—around the corner. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"And risk you getting hurt again, too? I don't think so, Clark. Besides, the Blur is nearby. Maybe he'll come back for me, too…"

Practically before the words were out of her mouth, Lois was in the Blur's arms being carried away. She was standing at doors of the Daily Planet, as safe as ever in the blink of an eye.

"Clark? Are you there?"she asked, surprised her phone was still in her hand.

"I just heard a noise. Is everything okay, Lois?"

She smiled, "Yes, everything is fine. I'm at the Planet. The Blur just made another whirlwind save."

"Please, Lois. Promise me you'll head home? Or better yet, maybe even come to the farm? That way, your place won't be the first place they look for you…"

Lois' smile grew wider, though she tried to hide it, lest he could hear it in her voice. "Clark Kent, are you trying to play protector?"

"Lois, I just mean—"

"It's okay, Smallville. I appreciate the offer. I'll be over as soon as I can. Besides… I have a juicy story that I just may let you in on if you're good."

"See you soon, Lois. And please. Be careful."

~\S/~

Lois did intend on heading to Smallville, but first she wanted to thank the Blur for getting them out of the Ace of Clubs safely.

She had put herself in danger, if truth be told. But all the same, the Blur should be thanked for saving her bacon – and Ollie's.

She had so many questions about Oliver floating in her mind…

Why had he even been there in the first place?

Had he been on another mission and they just happened to cross paths?

… Or had the Blur sent Oliver ahead until he could get there?

If that were the case, then Oliver might know who the Blur was. Not that she'd ever press either of them for the identity of the Blur, but she did sort of like the idea that Green Arrow wasn't fighting crime every night on the mean streets of Metropolis alone.

Lois picked up her pace as she made her way to the phone booth. It was 9:59 PM.

The phone started ringing just as she set her hand on the receiver.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Lois—"

"You saved me and Green Arrow. How can I ever thank you?"

"There's no need, Lois."

She hesitated, not wanting to seem pushy, but infinitely curious. "Did you know Ol—uh, Green Arrow, would be there?"

The Blur paused for a long moment. "No – I simply got there as soon as I could and found you two hiding in the bathroom."

She felt slightly deflated… so much for the idea that Ollie and the Blur were friends… "How did you know where to look for us?"

"I—I can see through walls."

"You what?" she asked in astonishment, her disappointment quickly forgotten. "How does that work, exactly?"

"Well, I just focus – and objects just disappear before my vision. Everything except things made out of lead, that is," he added practically.

"You simply amaze me…" she said, full of breathless wonder. How many other things could the Blur do? But still, despite him saving her and Ollie, it was Oliver who had rescued her – and had gotten shot in the process. "Where did you take Green Arrow, by the way? He said he didn't want to go to a hospital—"

"I took him to a friend's. Don't worry, Lois. He's in good hands. And his identity is safe."

"So you do know him?" she couldn't resist asking.

"I—let's just say that heroes of all stripes try to stick together."

"Does he know your identity?" she asked, and then immediately backtracked. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. I know it's important for you to keep your identity hidden. But Green Arrow is a good guy – I'd be happy just knowing that you have a friend out there whom you can trust."

"Thanks, Lois. Let's just say we know each other."

"Honestly, I'm just glad you were able to get us out of there. You- and I hate to admit it, Clark-were right… I should have been more careful."

"Lois, you can't always count on me to be there for you. I wish you'd stop taking so many risks."

Lois could feel guilt come over her. "I'm sorry. I was just after a story and—I guess I just got a little over-confident… are you sure O- Green Arrow will be okay?" she asked, uncertain whether she could or even should use Oliver's name or not.

"Yes. He'll be fine. Please, promise me you'll leave Mannheim and his thugs alone for a while?"

She sighed, feeling like a reprimanded child. "Yes, I will. But this isn't over. I already have some evidence against them. But I promise I won't throw myself into the fire again."


	2. Chapter 2

On the way to Smallville, Lois called Oliver. He didn't pick up, but she left a series of messages, all trying to apologize for getting him hurt.

"I guess I counted on the invincible Blur too much. Why did you even come, Ollie? I mean, I'm glad we got out of there- look, just call me when you get a chance."

She hung up her phone, still feeling guilty for not taking the Blur's warning to heart earlier. She rolled down the windows, and cranked up the stereo, letting Whitesnake take away her cares.

A half hour later, she pulled into the Kents' driveway, noticing that only Clark's big blue truck was there, and not Mrs. Kent's sleek town car. Ever since she was elected Senator, Mrs. Kent had spent less and less time at the farm. Understandably so, but Lois missed chatting with her and missed her baking.

Lois slowly walked up the porch to the Kent farmhouse, her guilt over getting both Clark and now Oliver hurt because of her carelessness weighing down on her. She didn't want to hear another lecture from Smallville tonight about how she should be more careful.

"Lois," he said, his laundry basket in hand as she came through the door.

"Smallville, I don't want to hear it," she said, already in defensive mode.

He sighed, setting the basked on the sofa. "I was just going to ask if you'd heard from Oliver?"

She released a little bit of the tension she was holding in and shook her head. "I've called him. But—he, well, maybe he isn't out of the er, hospital yet," she said.

Clark watched her carefully. "What was Oliver doing there in the first place?"

She shrugged. "Don't know. Trying to be a hero, I guess… But I suppose he's no Green Arrow," she said lightly, challenging Clark with a look to see if he'd confirm or deny that he knew Oliver's other identity.

"No, I guess not…" Clark said, his gaze going back to his laundry.

Lois folded her arms, still in the kitchen doorway, feeling foolish and vulnerable. She couldn't know who the Blur was, and Oliver's secret had torn them apart. Was she destined to only love men who could only share part of themselves with her?

"What is it, Lois?" Clark asked, glancing up from his laundry. "You seem nervous."

"I'm just—I don't know. Guilty. Tired… unsure," she finished quietly. "I can't seem to stop those I care about getting hurt. First you and then Ollie…"

She felt herself on the brink of tears. Clark suddenly stopped folding laundry and walked over to her. He gently pulled her more fully into the kitchen, letting the screen door shut behind her. He took her purse and car keys, setting them on the kitchen table.

Then, he gently touched her shoulder, and looked straight into her eyes. "Lois, I'm fine. In fact, you saved me."

She rolled her eyes. Partly because of his asinine comment when he had clearly saved her, and partly to try and stop the tears from falling. "Very funny, Smallville," she said weakly, and then shrugged. "I don't know… I can't help it that I go after these dangerous stories. I just have to get to the truth… and sometimes, I don't think things through."

"Luckily you have the Blur to look out for you, though, right?" he said with an encouraging smile.

"Yeah. You were right. And so was the Blur… I risk too much for the sake of a story, Clark."

"No, you do everything you can to get to the truth. You're an excellent reporter, Lois. It's one of the things I admire about you."

"Really?" she asked in surprise.

He smiled. "Sure. Why else do I sit across from you at the Planet? I want to learn from the best."

She couldn't help a smile appearing on her face after that generous compliment. And it gave her the courage to shake off her doubts, and show him her evidence.

"Well, then Smallville," she said, brightening. "Prepare to feast your eyes on a job well-done," Lois proudly declared, brandishing her camera. She turned so he could see over her shoulder the photos she had taken.

"See, there's Ray Sacks – just as I suspected, working with Mannheim," she said, clicking through her shots. "I think they're laundering money through the Ace of Clubs."

"This is quite a story, Lois," he said from behind her.

She suddenly realized how close they were standing together, his warm tones vibrating near her ear. She cleared her throat and stepped away from their intimate stance, suddenly feeling they were too close.

"So, I need to get started on this story… Since you were the one—um, shot by Mannheim, I thought maybe you'd like to help write the story that might bring him to justice?" she offered.

"This is your story. But if you want to quote me on something, I'm all yours."

"Hmm," she said contemplatively, her eyes unwittingly fluttering over his chest. _There certainly are times when I wish you were all mine_.

Clark gave her a slightly puzzled look, just as his phone beeped. He checked a message, and then gave Lois an apologetic shrug. "I have a lead to chase up. Call me if you need me? I think you'll be safe here tonight."

"You're heading back to Metropolis tonight?" she asked doubtfully. "A little late, isn't it?"

"No, I, uh—there was a guy who I was trying to speak to in town about a piece I was working on about f—farm subsidies. He's usually busy all day, so—"

"Go, Smallville," she said, though she wasn't quite buying his excuse. "Besides, I have work to do."

~\S/~

Lois was more shaken up than she wanted to admit over the nights' events. After Clark left, she took a long shower, washing away the intensity of the evening.

She actually was a little disappointed that Clark hadn't stayed. He always made her feel safer somehow. And though she didn't think Mannheim or his thugs would chase her to Smallville, she still felt restless and nervous.

After her shower, she got dressed in one of Clark's shirts and a pair of his boxers. She hoped he wouldn't mind, but she hadn't wanted to stop at the Talon, all things considered.

She came downstairs into the kitchen, and looked for her cell phone.

It blinked with one message—from Oliver.

"Hey, Lois. Just wanted to let you know I'll be fine. Talk to you later. Oh, and do me a favor? Don't go sneaking around any mob boss' lairs for a few days, will you? Later."

She sighed. At least Oliver was okay. And though the Blur hadn't confirmed that he knew who Green Arrow really was, she couldn't help but think that they were working together.

A secret heroes club perhaps?

At least they seemed to look out for each other.

She thought about when she had found out about Oliver's other identity—and how she had believed that she could never fit into a hero's life. That Oliver's destiny was so much greater than hers.

Yet, here she was, actively trying to be a part of the Blur's life. A part of her recognized that she was playing with fire. She already felt something for the Blur, an intangible connection that she just couldn't quite explain.

Was this any different than if she had stayed with Ollie?

Only now she'd get the hero side of the man, and not the man himself. Wasn't that somehow worse?

She shook her head, contradicting her thoughts. This was different. The Blur seemed to have a higher calling than even Oliver's. And the fact that he was making her even a little part of that was extraordinary. And he wasn't leaving her behind – he was putting her in the game.

With Ollie, he hadn't been able to share his secret identity with her, wanting to protect her. But the Blur _could_ protect her – and by not knowing his identity, she could be part of the action without risking her heart.

Lois sat on the sofa, chewing on that thought. Her heart was already at risk. She admired the Blur's selflessness and the good things he did. But it made her want to know the man, even if that seemed impossible.

Her eyes landed on a picture of Clark and Lana on the table with the Kent family photos, making her think about the tangible man in her life, even if he wasn't really hers. At least Lana seemed out of Clark's life for good, which Lois thought was a good thing. When Lana had been living with Lex a few years ago, Lois had tried to give her advice, but soon discovered that Lana was full of more secrets than Fort Knox. Clark was so protective of his own heart that Lois knew that Lana would never truly be good for him – and her stint with Lex had only made her secretiveness that much worse.

Lois sighed with irritation. Lana had always rubbed her slightly the wrong way, even though she had tried to be friends with her. And Lois held a little bit of a grudge against Lana for having left Clark quite apparently shaken up by even the idea of another relationship.

Lois felt fidgety, like she did whenever she thought of Clark and her own feelings for the Kansas farm boy. She liked him quite a lot, but whenever those feelings started to surface, he seemed to manage to find a way to dampen them back down again. Like when Lana had appeared at Chloe's wedding… or when he acted more like an over-protective brother than a potential boyfriend.

But Smallville had risked himself for her over and over again, and her own carelessness had gotten him shot this last time. She'd never forget how she felt, seeing him lying there, with a bullet in his chest—because he had tried to save _her_.

Clark Kent stirred so many mixed emotions in her. He infuriated her, and yet he could seem so understanding at times. She knew that if he ever made the first move, she'd be up for the idea of trying something more between them. But she also knew it would take some time to get there – enough time to let the damage Lana did have a chance to heal.

She had tried once to move their relationship forward after their almost-kiss at Chloe's disaster wedding. She had tried to set up an informal coffee date with him. But Clark had apparently chickened out, disappointing any hopes she may have had of starting a relationship with him. However, that desire to be more than friends hadn't left Lois, even if she would never admit the full truth of what she felt aloud.

Secure in the quietness and solitude of the Kent farmhouse, Lois curled up on the sofa, attempting to banish the ghost of Lana and her own repressed feelings about Clark. Shelby came to sleep by her feet, and Lois reached over to gently pat the dog's back.

The Kent farmhouse was as close to a home as Lois ever had. She felt the irony of that now, knowing that the one person she secretly dreamed about becoming closer to, also lived in the one place she ever called home.

She turned on the television, not caring what she watched, but wanting to simply be distracted enough to fall asleep.

Eventually, her eyes closed. No matter how confused and worried she had seemed earlier, sleep eventually claimed her, leaving her with dreams of being rescued by the Blur, blending with an image of a friendly farm boy whom she had almost kissed…

~\S/~

Lois woke with a start. The television was off and the living room was dark. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she knew she had been watching television earlier. Had Clark come home and shut off the TV and lights?

She sat up, bumping Shelby who was still by her feet, and reached to turn on the lamp. She squinted at the light and noticed the old grandfather clock in the hallway said 3:20. There was a more comfortable bed upstairs in her old room, and Lois got up to sleepily head towards it.

She suddenly heard a noise, and realized that it was what had awoken her a few moments ago.

"Smallville?" she called out to the mostly dark house.

When she didn't hear an answer, Lois grew fearful. Had Mannheim's thugs followed her? Now fully awake as adrenaline kicked in, she went to the fireplace and grabbed the soot shovel, the first weapon she laid eyes on. She held it up like she was about to swing a baseball bat, edging her way into the hallway.

"Who's there?" she asked, hoping fear wouldn't register in her voice. She really wished Clark had stayed around earlier.

Lois could see the shadow of a figure moving around in the kitchen, though whoever it was looked much shorter and smaller than the thugs she had encountered earlier at the Ace of Clubs.

Still holding the shovel aloft, Lois reached with her other hand to flip on the light switch.

"L-Lana?" she gasped in surprise.

Lana turned wide eyes on Lois, looking like a guilty thief. "Lois? What are you doing here?"

"I might ask the same about you," Lois retorted, setting the fireplace shovel aside and crossing her arms defensively.

"I—look, it's not what you think."

Lana glanced around helplessly, and Lois thought she looked utterly pathetic. Is this what she had been reduced to? Skulking around the Kents', hoping to run into Clark?

"I don't know what to think, Lana," she said honestly. "But I thought things um, had ended with you and Clark?"

Lana nodded sadly. "They did. But I'm not here because of Clark," she added quickly, resuming her rummaging. "I'm trying to find out what happened to Chloe."

"Chloe?" Lois asked in alarm. "What happened?"

"She—she ran away with Davis."

"What? Why? How do you know?"

"Chloe called me. I came here to um, try and talk to Clark about what to do," she said, though Lois was pretty certain Lana was lying.

"Clark isn't here. He left to work on a story."

"And what were you doing here?" Lana asked, seemingly curious as to why Lois was hanging out at the Kent farm again.

"I'm trying to stay out of trouble myself. There were some mob guys whom I had a run in with and Clark—well—"

"He wanted to be sure you were safe," Lana finished for her, and the two exchanged a somewhat uncomfortable look of understanding about Clark's over protectiveness.

"Yeah, pretty much," Lois admitted. Then, realizing she may never have the chance again, she couldn't help herself asking, "So, why did you and Clark break up anyway? "

Lana glanced away, but not before Lois saw tears in her eyes. Lois instantly regretted her question. "Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the people you care about," Lana said in a low voice. "Our destinies weren't meant to be together."

"Hey, look. I'm sorry for prying…" Lois said, not realizing Lana's feelings were still so raw. Lois cleared her throat in an audible effort to change the subject. "So, since Smallville's not here, what are we going to do about my cousin?"

Lana nodded, acknowledging the change of subject. "I—was hoping there were some clues as to what happened during the wedding left in the barn," Lana said, finally pulling out a flashlight from the kitchen drawer. "Lois, you do know that Davis and the monster that destroyed Chloe's wedding are the same, don't you?"

"Wait. What? What do you mean?" Lois asked, suddenly more alarmed about Chloe's disappearance.

Lana seemed hesitant about how much she could tell Lois, seeing her reaction, and turned slightly away from her. "Davis is not just meteor-infected, Lois. He's from another planet."

"Look, I know some weird stuff goes down in Smallville… but are you seriously saying that Davis is an _alien_?"

Lana nodded with purpose. "Yes, and I think I can stop him."

Lois stared at her, as if she were the alien and not the creature who had Chloe. "How do you plan to manage that?" Lois asked with incredulity.

Lana faced Lois, a slightly defiant look on her face. "Lex built technology that I've -taken advantage of. He created a suit, a skin graft that has granted me super-human powers. "

Lois stared at Lana in horror, "Lana, why would you do something like that? That sounds – extremely dangerous."

Lois noticed the suspicious sheen in Lana's eyes hadn't gone away, though Lana tried to hide it. "I know… I—wanted revenge on Lex."

Lois gaped in astonishment at the petite brunette before her, recalling another time when she had somehow been temporarily infused with powers. Lana had attacked Lois and her boyfriend at the time, Grant, because they wouldn't print a story about Lex. She may look fragile now, but Lois knew how dangerous Lana could be to herself and others when she was intent on revenge. Lois suddenly nodded with understanding. "This is what separated you and Clark, isn't it?" she asked carefully.

Lana shrugged, "It's a little more complicated than that. But, yes, sort of… " Possibly seeing Lois' incredulity that she would risk her relationship with Clark to get revenge, Lana tried to make Lois understand. "I want to help people though, Lois. I didn't just do this because of Lex. I—wanted to make a difference."

Lois let out the judgmental breath she seemed to have been holding in, and smiled weakly in some sympathy. "I know the feeling," she said, thinking of the Blur and how she felt when she helped him. But Lois knew there was a fundamental difference between her and Lana. Lois would never do what Lana had done, certainly not for revenge. There seemed something entirely selfish about Lana donning that suit, and Lois suddenly felt sorry for Clark, seeing that he had been fooled into thinking the Luthor way hadn't rubbed off on Lana. But Lois didn't want to pass judgment either. Besides, if Lana was super-powered, perhaps she could help get her cousin back. "So, how do you think you can help Chloe?"

"My—suit is infused with green m—meteor rock," Lana began haltingly, a look of immense pain and guilt on her face. "And, um, because Davis is not human, I think I can fight him."

"What does the green meteor rock have to do with stopping Davis?"

Lana wiped a tear, preparing herself to explain. "I think it w-weakens him… " she struggled to get out. "Maybe it's just a theory, but I think it's worth a try."

"It sounds like suicide. What if your theory is wrong?"

"It doesn't matter, Lois. I—hope that I can help. But I need to find where Chloe and Davis are first. Will you help me find them?"

"Of course I want to find my cousin, but Lana, you're going into this on a lot of mere speculation. What makes you think you can stop him?"

"I have to try, Lois," she said, in a martyred way that grated a bit on Lois. If Lana hadn't tampered with Lex's super suit in the first place, she wouldn't even be contemplating fighting an alien monster.

_At least when I played superhero, I just put on a costume and not some irreversible super suit graft!_  
Lois tried to keep from rolling her eyes, aggravated by Lana's attitude. "And I assume you don't want Clark to know about what you are planning?"

Lana shook her head fiercely. "He can't know, Lois. He can't know I've been here. Clark – will try to stop me. And he would get hurt."

Lois sighed, full of reluctance. "I don't like this. I can't make any promises that I won't say anything. But I'll help you find Chloe and Davis. I have to keep a low profile anyway until I can deal with my own problem in Metropolis… But in the meantime, I suggest you don't sneak around the Kent farm like a thief."

Lana nodded, clearly rebuked. "I didn't mean any harm. I just—well, I'm leaving, but please, stay in touch," she said, scribbling a phone number on a piece of paper to give to Lois.

"I'll let you know if I learn anything. But Lana, I don't want to get mixed up in your secrets either. Smallville deserves to know what you're planning to do."

"I just don't want to see him hurt, Lois. And I imagine, neither do you."

"That's just it. I think secrets, even when you are trying to protect someone, can just make things worse. After Lex, you of all people should know that."

~\S/~

Lois couldn't get back to sleep after her strange confrontation with Lana. She had honestly thought Lana had disappeared for good. When she had asked Clark about their breakup, he had seemed definite that things were over between the two of them. Lois couldn't help but feel there was more to the story that neither were telling her. She certainly had an uneasy feeling in her stomach with Lana back in the picture.

She knew that wasn't entirely fair, but it always seemed that Clark was less like himself whenever Lana appeared. She didn't want to tell Clark that Lana was in town, knowing that both of them needed to move on, for whatever their reasons were for breaking up. But she also didn't think it was a good idea for Lana to go on a fool's mission to try and stop Davis by herself.

But even if Lois told him, what could Smallville do about it?

It would only hurt him to know Lana was in danger, and Clark certainly couldn't go up against Davis.  
Oliver was also of the human variety and didn't have a super-powered skin graft to back him up.

That left the Blur.

Perhaps he could find Chloe and Davis, and stop Little Miss Martyr all in one super swoop. And maybe even before Clark found out about it all.

At least, Lois hoped so.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning at the Planet, Lois went back to working on her story about Mannheim. Since Sacks was a corrupt DA, there was no way she could bring his dealings to the Court House. She knew he had likely already bribed half of those he worked with, including the Mayor. Her best bet was the governor. She wouldn't let this go until she got Ray Sacks put away – even if she had to go to the Attorney General himself.

She was on hold to the governor's mansion when Clark walked into the bullpen, looking like he had spent a rough night.

Lois put down the phone, frustrated anyway by waiting on hold for the last ten minutes. "You okay, Smallville?" she asked.

He seemed distracted and gave her a wan smile. "Fine. I've just been…" he glanced away from her, and she could tell he was looking for an excuse not to tell her what he had been doing.

"Busy, right?" she finished for him, wondering if he had been out looking for Chloe and Davis. Or worse, had run into Lana.

He was about to nod in agreement, but then seemed to change his mind, his blue eyes suddenly piercing into hers. "Lois, Chloe's missing," he told her simply.

" I know," she said automatically, and then regretted it, hoping his next follow up question wasn't how she knew. She was in agony over whether she should tell Clark about her encounter with Lana. But there was also a small, petty part of her that just didn't want to ride the Clark-Lana ride of drama one more time. She thought for his own good, he needed to stay away from her.

"You do?"

Lois sighed, feeling slightly in the wrong about lying to him, but unable to stop herself. "Yeah, I tried to call her this morning. And, um, went by the Talon before heading to Metropolis… But I'm sure she's fine, right?" she finished with forced levity, worrying that Clark would put together Davis and Chloe, and thereby run into Lana.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said, though didn't sound convinced. "What are you working on?" he asked suddenly, seeming to want a distraction. "The Mannheim story?"

She smiled, pleased that he was still interested in her story. She began to ramble on, happy to have something honest to talk about. "Yes, but I have an even bigger fish to catch – Sacks, that corrupt DA. I've been on the phone to the governor's mansion, but I wonder if Sacks even has him in his back pocket… Anyway, I-"

Clark's phone suddenly beeped and he gave Lois an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Lois. I wish I could help you. But, please, feel free to stay at the farm till this all blows over. I'm not sure the Talon is the safest place for you right now."

"Sure, Smallville. And thanks."

~\S/~

Lois felt guilty for much of the rest of the day. Why the hell did Lana have to pop up now? If Lana got herself killed, and Clark knew that Lois had known what she planned to do before, would he ever forgive her? But at the same time, Lois knew that Clark couldn't do anything to stop Davis and Lana was responsible for her own actions. At least Lana had a chance with her super-powered suit…

Later that afternoon, frustrated by her lack of progress on the Sacks' story and guilty over withholding information from Clark about Lana, Lois decided to leave the bullpen for a coffee at her favorite café. Just as she was about to head to the elevators, her desk phone rang.

She sighed as she reluctantly answered it, thinking that it was likely another dead end source calling her back.

"Hello?" she said with some irritation.

"Lois… it's –me," came the modulated voice of the Blur.

"I'm so glad you called," she said sincerely, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Lois, the reason I'm calling—I know your friend is missing."

"Chloe? That must mean you are looking for her," Lois sighed in relief, sitting back down in her chair. "I have to admit, I feel a lot better knowing you're out there searching for her too."

"Lois, I don't want you getting involved. Chloe may be with a dangerous—"

"Murderer? I know. Davis' face has been splashed all across the pages of the Planet lately," she said, glancing at one of the latest headlines on her desk. "But there's something you should know. He's not just a guy on a rampage—he's an alien. He turned into this beast at Chloe's wedding and—even though I lived through it, this still sounds crazy…"

"I already know, Lois. I've been after Davis for some time. But how did you know?"

She smiled. "A good reporter never reveals her sources." But then she immediately relented. "Actually, my source is precisely what I need to talk to you about."

"Oh, why is that?"

"She's a friend – well, sort of friend. Lana Lang- whom I thought had disappeared off the map entirely- has suddenly resurfaced."

"Lana?" said the voice in strained tones.

"Yes , and to make matters worse, the girl has a serious martyr complex. She thinks she can stop Davis."

"Why would she think she could do something so dangerous?"

"She's a fool to try, if you ask me, but she had this skin-graft made that gave her super powers, and somehow the suit is infused with meteor rock. She thinks this will empower her enough to defeat Davis. But I'm afraid she'll just get herself hurt or worse – and I just can't bring myself to tell Clark... " Lois paused, hating the bite of jealously that she felt whenever she thought of Clark and Lana together. "You see, they have a history and, well, it would devastate him to know Lana is putting herself at so much risk… I thought, maybe you can stop Davis? Maybe get to him before Lana does."

"I—I'll try. And Lois, thanks for telling me… I'm glad you feel you can trust me."

"Sometimes it feels like you're the only one I can trust."

~\S/~

Satisfied that the Blur was on the case and that Clark was still none the wiser, Lois headed to the Talon, hoping to find a clue as to where Davis may have taken Chloe.

She knew Clark hadn't wanted her to go there, thinking that Mannheim could still be after her, but it had been two whole days since the Stiletto story was killed, and she hadn't heard a peep from the DA or the notorious mobster.

Her own progress on the story had hit a dead end, as she couldn't get anyone at the governor's office to return her calls about Ray Sacks. She would drop the story for now, if only to step up her efforts to find out what happened to Chloe.

As Lois pulled in, she noticed a black van parked nearby. Was someone else keeping an eye on the Talon?

Inside, Chloe's apartment looked like it had been abandoned at least a week ago. Dishes still lay in the sink, a few congealed spots of food on the plates…

Lois nosed around the apartment, looking through Chloe's mail, searching for anything that might give her a clue as to what had happened.

When she came over to the bedroom area, she noticed Chloe's closet was open.

Her suitcase was missing.

Lois stood in shock for a moment, going over the implications of a planned escape with Davis.

Had Chloe _chosen_ to go with him?

Why would her cousin abandon Jimmy to run away with a known murderer?

"Chloe, what have you gotten yourself into?" she murmured in dismay.

Lois heard a noise downstairs. She suddenly regretted not telling Clark or even suped-up Lana that she was coming here.

Slowly, she headed to the door, and tried to peak down the stairs to see if anyone had followed her.

From the landing above, she could hear someone moving about below.

"Are you sure this is the correct address? This just looks like a defunct coffee shop to me," said a man with a distinct accent reminiscent of the streets of Metropolis.

"Yeah, this is it all right. Let's have a look upstairs."

Lois stifled a gasp, as she retreated back into the apartment and quickly locked the door as softly as she could. Would they go away if they didn't think anyone was home?

Lois retreated to the window by the kitchen, seriously contemplating how bad it would be to jump from here. Deciding it wasn't worth a broken leg or worse, Lois made her way to the bathroom, hoping to buy herself a few more moments if she stayed hidden.

The thugs began pounding on her door. "You in there, Miss Lane? We just want to have a word with you."

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and the door was kicked in.

"Son of a—" Lois began under her breath, jumping at the sound.

"Hey, Joe. I think I heard something."

Lois held her breath, knowing that it was only a matter of moments before they'd find her. She dug out her cell phone, wishing she had the Blur on speed dial. No one could get here fast enough to help her, but if she began fighting back, she might be able to stall enough time that Smallville could get the police.

She pressed the button for Clark's cell and waited.

"Hello?" she heard Clark answer, but then she dropped the phone, timing a kick to open the bathroom door just as one of the guys approached. She managed to knock him down, and with another roundhouse kick, knocked the gun out of the other guy's hand.

"Clark!" she cried, hoping he'd hear her on her phone. "Get help! The Talon!"

She kept moving, keeping a fighter's stance as the guy circled her.

"I told you she was here," said the thug she had knocked out a second ago. Lois turned, only to be grabbed by the first guy.

"Mannheim wants a word with you."

Lois tried to elbow him, but the other man suddenly had a knife to her throat. "You do what we say, and maybe we'll let you live."

Suddenly the guy dropped the knife, which startled the other one long enough that Lois could get out of his hold.

"What happened to that knife? It turned into fire in my hand!" he complained, clutching his hand to his chest.

Lois kicked the guy who had held the knife, and the second one was suddenly thrown against the wall of the Talon. Had she done that? The goon she had just laid into was then tossed away as well, and Lois smiled, realizing what had happened.

"The Blur," she whispered. "Thanks, wherever you are."

She made a run for the door, taking the steps as fast as she could to get out of there. Suddenly, her problems became ten times worse, as she was blocked by a hideous monster coming up the stairs. The same monster that had destroyed Chloe's wedding. The alien, Davis.

It hadn't seen her yet, so she thought she might still have a chance. Lois carefully tried to walk backwards up the stairs. Red eyes suddenly looked up, boring into her, and she was suddenly riveted, staring at his horned face and vicious fangs.

"What happened to you, Davis?" she whispered in horror. But she could see that there was nothing left of the man in this beast. Whatever had happened, whatever this alien was, Davis was gone.

Lois glanced over her shoulder, seeing that the thugs in the apartment were starting to wake. But she imagined they wouldn't want to deal with this creature any more than she did. Yet, how was she to escape?

"What have you done with Chloe?" she demanded, hoping that if there was anything left of Davis in this creature, that question would distract him long enough that she might be able to dive by him.

Hearing the thugs move behind her, without giving much thought to her action, Lois made a dash to rush around the creature. The beast's arm suddenly came out and swiped her out of the way. Lois was tossed aside like a feather, sent careening down the stairs, rolling like a log. She eventually landed at the bottom of the stairs, bruised and more than a little disoriented.

She knew she was lucky the beast hadn't attacked her more directly, but she watched in horror as the shadow of the beast was cast on the stairway, heading into her apartment.

Out of the blue, there appeared Lana, offering her a hand up.

"Are you all right?"

Lois rubbed her temple. "I think so… Were you the one that saved me a second ago from those thugs?"

"No, I – I've been tracking Davis all day. I thought he might come back here… though Chloe isn't with him."

"He's here," Lois gulped, her eyes glancing fearfully in the direction of her apartment. "What are you going to do? There were two thugs after me up there. They work for this mobster, Mannheim. They may be the scum of the earth, but no one deserves to be killed by that monster-"

Lana nodded, and then in a blink, was at the top of the stairs. Lois climbed the stairs after her, her leg in pain, making her ascent slow. She was curious how Lana would face down the creature, and still a little nervous that the petite brunette thought she could do it all on her own – even with a super-powered suit.

Lois was going to offer her backup any way she could. She grabbed the coat rack that stood in the corner on the landing, ready to either toss it to Lana or try to use it herself against the beast. Lois glanced in the apartment, and noticed the thugs had disappeared.

_They're probably cowering in the bathroom like I was,_ she thought. _ How does it feel when the shoe's on the other foot, jackasses?_

Lois watched as Lana prepared to face the beast. The creature that used to be a man, seemed somewhat amused by her antics, as tiny little Lana crouched into a fighter's stance before it. "Lois, get out of here, now!" Lana demanded, when suddenly the monster reached for her. Lana drove a fist into the shoulder of the beast, blocking his grab, and in a flash, a green light appeared around the contact point.

Lana looked in shock and wonder at what was happening, as her hand seemed to glow green, the energy of the green meteor rock acting like a magnet to the beast's scaly skin. "The kryptonite—it's gone," she said when after a few moments, the green glow disappeared.

The beast stepped back from her, his fists raised above him. He seemed more imbued with power than before and let out an inhuman roar, narrowing his gaze at Lana. She suddenly turned frightened eyes on Lois. "Run!"

Lois turned, tossing the coat rack aside and limped with pain as she tried to speed down the stairs. She couldn't move fast enough, and was suddenly carried away and out of the Talon. In a matter of moments, Lois and Lana were standing in a field, near the Kent farmhouse.

"Are you okay?" Lana asked, her eyes wide with concern.

Lois blinked with uncertainty, looking around them as she realized Lana had sped them off to safety. She started checking over her few bruises with a skeptical eye. "I think I'll live. What happened in there? And what is kryptonite?" she added with a crisp retort, replaying in her mind what had just occurred.

Lana's face seemed to blanch in shock for a second, but then quickly recovered. She began pacing as she spoke. "It's meteor rock. Um, Lex named it, based on a theory about where it came from," Lana said vaguely. "I have the power to absorb it into the suit, but I never thought that there was a way to get rid of it," she said, her voice suddenly filled with breathless wonder, obvious joy on her face at the thought.

Lois stared at Lana, utterly confused by Lana's calmness. "Aren't you the least bit concerned that this beast now seems more powerful than ever?"

"We'll find a way to stop him, Lois. And we'll get Chloe back," Lana said with firm confidence. In fact, Lois was a little unnerved by Lana's use of 'we.' Surely she didn't think they could stop him together?

"Lois, I have to go," Lana said abruptly, heading towards the farm. "I'm glad you're okay. But I have to go!"

Lois watched Lana disappear in a blur, a million questions in her mind. She couldn't help but have a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Lana had looked overjoyed after her encounter with the beast, as if freed from a prison.

And somehow Lois knew that Lana was desperate to tell Clark all about it.


	4. Chapter 4

Lois walked slowly back to the farmhouse. Her body hurt all over the place, especially after being tossed around like a toy by that beast, making her limp cautiously. But despite her own bruises, she was really worried about Lana.

The beast was still out there, stronger than ever. Lois wasn't sure that Lana could fight it on her own. And why hadn't the Blur intervened to help them?

Lois knew he had been around since Lana admitted that she hadn't been the one to save her.

Where had he gone? Why had he disappeared when they had seemed to need him the most?

Lois reached the barn first. She decided to pause there a moment before heading into the house, needing a moment to rest her leg. But as she entered the barn, Lois could hear two people talking, and she felt her heart drop in her stomach as she realized it was Lana and Clark.

She stepped inside, torn between making her presence known, and wanting to know what they were saying. Despite her efforts to shield Clark, would the inevitable come to pass anyway? Would Smallville turn yet again back to Lana?

The image of Lois' almost kiss with Clark at Chloe's wedding was burned indelibly into her mind. Lana was like a magnet for Clark – no matter how destructive, he always seemed to swing back to her.

Lois knew she would be torturing herself to listen to their reunion, but she couldn't help it. She had to know how to prepare her heart to face Clark. She had to know if she'd have to put up her cheery wall of friendship yet again, stand by and watch Lana sweep in and take Clark away from her.

She repressed a sigh. Maybe this was as much her fault as Lana's. It's not like she ever let Smallville know how she felt about him. But she had been so sensitive to his wanting to stay away from relationships, that she feared she had sacrificed her own feelings to both their detriments.

And here she was, about to let it happen again.

Lois leaned against a wooden post, just inside the barn. The skies had turned grey, and a cool September rain began to fall, stirring up the smell of clean dirt in the barn. She told herself that it was this that made her eyes tear up, and not the fear of what she might hear above her.

The rain fell softly, and Lois strained to listen as Clark and Lana spoke above her in the loft.

"The kryptonite is gone. I'm free… " Lana was saying. "We can finally be together, like we always wanted to be. Like we were always meant to be."

There was a long pause in the loft above her. Lois wondered how Clark would take the news. Though Lois didn't understand what the strange green meteor rock Lana had called kryptonite had to do with anything… She wondered if it had strengthened Lana the way it had the beast. Was her suit less super now? Maybe she had been afraid that she was physically somehow too strong for Clark?

That thought made Lois scoff silently. Besides the thought of a super Lana being too much for Clark to handle, she knew that Clark was the strongest man she knew. And it had nothing to do with how much he could bench press… If he had wanted to be with Lana despite her super suit, he would have found a way.

"Lana, I'm not the same person I was… things have changed. I have changed," he said gently.

Lois' ears perked up, surprised to hear these words come from Clark. She thought surely he'd drop everything he believed in, like he always had, and take Lana back into his sweeping embrace. Maybe there was hope for ending the Clark-Lana roller coaster of doom after all.

The rain started falling harder, and Lois had to strain to hear what was said above her. She couldn't explain why, but she knew that whatever passed between Lana and Clark, would somehow impact her relationship with Clark. Maybe it was because she'd knew if they got back together, Lana would take up more of his life, making him less available to her at work. And despite her teasing, she loved working beside him. Or perhaps, it was merely a budding hope, that if Clark could at last let go of Lana, then maybe – just maybe, there'd eventually be room in his heart for someone else.

"We are on equal footing, Clark. You and I… we could do so much."

"Lana… after you left, I did a lot of thinking. About us. About all the things we've been through. We—we've never really made each other happy, Lana. There was always something holding us back, something that kept us separated. And while you now understand why, there's still so much that I can't reconcile, Lana."

Clark had begun pacing, Lois could hear above her. He was speaking in riddles… what had separated them?

"And when you married Lex," he sighed. "I don't know… it was hard for us even to be friends then."  
"You know what a monster Lex was, Clark," Lana said, her voice beginning to shake with tears. "I did what I had to survive."

"Exactly," he said evenly. Though Lana may not understand, Lois thought she did. Lana had become more of a Luthor than she wanted to admit. And thank God, Clark could finally see that. "We're different, Lana… and while I will always remember you as my first love, it's time to move on. For both of us."

"I thought you loved me, Clark… I thought if I could get rid of this—curse that we-"

Lois heard Clark sigh, "Lana, when we were first separated, I would have given anything to have you back. But after the pain of losing you, I began to realize other things that I had been too afraid to acknowledge, blinded by my love for you. I realized that the girl I fell in love with was different from the woman I knew… And while my feelings were genuine, they've—changed. And I think, I've realized that they changed because you and I have changed… I'm sorry," he said, and Lois could imagine the look he gave Lana as he said those words. Those fathomless, soulful eyes of his, full of heartbreaking honesty…

Lana took in a shuddering breath, her words choked with tears. "You really can look at me and say that you don't love me? After all we've been through? Clark?"

Lois cringed for Clark, hearing what amounted to emotional blackmail coming from Lana. _He deserved so much better than this…  
_  
"Lana… there will always be a part of me that loves you," he said kindly. "The fact that I can even get near you again is—amazing. But Lana, you have to admit, we're different people. We were different people even when we were together. And now, it's time for us to move on."

Lois heard the sniffle of tears, Lana shuffling on her feet a bit. "I gave up so much for you. So much for us," Lana said painfully, her voice shaking. Suddenly Lois heard a whoosh of wind, as Lana abruptly super-sped away.

Lois heard the plod of Clark's footsteps as he came to the landing. Clark leaned over the loft's rail, looking out into the fields. "Lana!" he called after her.

He hung his head in defeat, and glancing down, suddenly noticed Lois.

"Lois," he said in surprise, concern in his voice at her current state, looking bruised and slightly teary.  
His cheeks even colored a bit, and she wondered if he was embarrassed for what had just happened between him and Lana.

"I'm sorry for intruding, Clark," she said softly. Her heart was full of so many emotions, worried that Clark would fall for Lana again, and a surprising hope that he might be free of her at last. But she could see the pain Clark was struggling with, reconciling his past. And those emotions were what took precedent for her. She stepped towards the stairs, to offer what she could in support. "I- I'm sorry about Lana."

Clark made his way down the stairs of the loft, coming to stand next to Lois. His gaze turned towards what had now become a downpour outside the barn door. "I never expected to see her again," he said, and it almost sounded like an apology.

"Clark, I—have a confession to make," Lois began, sitting on a nearby hay bale.

"What is it, Lois?"

She sighed heavily, and then faced him squarely. "I—knew Lana was in town."

"You did?" he asked, but he didn't seem surprised.

"Yeah, I sort of ran into her in your kitchen the other night… She was looking for clues about what happened to Chloe. I'm sorry, Clark. I should have warned you," she said, pleading with her eyes for him to understand. To understand why it was so complicated for her. To understand that she had feelings for him too that she was just beginning to recognize.

He shook his head with a sigh. "It's okay, Lois… It's over between us anyway. There were so many things about her that I could never see. Things that were right there in front of me about who she really is – I always wanted to believe she was innocent. Or believe that Lex had stolen that innocence. But I realized she always had a harder edge to her. She was always full of secrets… and had a darker side that I never wanted to acknowledge."

Clark had sat down next to her on the hay bale, and Lois gently nudged his side. "You never know, Smallville. Maybe… the one for you is just around the corner."

He smiled at her, and then his brow wrinkled in concern, his eyes taking in her injuries. "So, what exactly happened to you, Lois?"

Lois sighed, knowing Clark wouldn't be happy to learn she had put herself in harm's way yet again. "I was looking for clues about Chloe. I had a run-in with Mannheim's thugs, and then met the-creature-formerly-known-as-Davis at the Talon. And then your super g—_ex_-girlfriend swooped in and saved me."

He looked at her in surprise, his mouth slightly agape. "So you know about her suit?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Well, obviously, since I didn't flip out when she darted out of here literally like the wind… A super Lana. Who knew, huh?"

Clark seemed to breathe a little easier and started playing with a loose straw from the hay bale. He rolled it between his fingers and became contemplative. "Davis is more powerful than ever," he murmured to himself.

"Well, I don't know about little miss super duper, but I'm hoping the Blur can stop our mindless monster," she said.

Clark glanced up at her, a hint of worry in his expression. "You have a lot of faith in the Blur, Lois." He sighed, tossing the piece of hay aside. "What if there comes a time when he can't live up to your expectation?"

"My only expectation is that he'll be there for us. I know he'll find a way to stop Davis," she said confidently.

Clark sighed, leaning back on the hay bale, resting on a wooden beam. "Your faith is a lot to live up to."

"There's nothing to live up to, Clark. The Blur is good and will do whatever it takes to defend Metropolis. I know things will work out," she said with assurance.

His blue eyes seemed to look right into her heart, and Lois was struck by the intensity in his gaze.  
"What is it, Smallville?" she asked, wondering what his thoughts were.

He shook his head, as if clearing some strange notion that lingered there. "Nothing… I—I'm just impressed by your belief in the power of good over evil. Most people don't have such emphatic convictions."

"It's the only way I know how to live, Clark," she said as if revealing a secret. " Believing that good will triumph is how I get up every day and go to work at the Planet."

"It's admirable, is all."

A small smile lingered on her lips. "Thanks."

He stood up, and reached out for her hand to help her up. "What do you say we go into the house and fix up those war wounds?"

Lois gingerly got up and eyed the pouring rain outside the barn. Her leg was now throbbing with pain, and she couldn't see herself hobbling across the muddy yard to the farmhouse.

Clark noticed her hesitancy. "What is it?"

She gestured to her leg. "I can't run in this weather with my leg… I—"

Before she could get the sentence out of her mouth, Clark had lifted her, one arm supporting her back, while her legs were slung over his other arm.

Lois felt her heart fall to her stomach, suddenly in Clark's embrace. Their eyes met, and for a second, she thought she saw something there. Something _more_ than just friendship. But it was gone in the very next instant, his gaze hooded as he headed out the door.

"Don't worry, Lois. I've got you," he said through the pouring rain.

He jogged towards the farmhouse, conscious of not jostling the cargo he was carrying. Lois hardly noticed the rain, finding herself mesmerized instead by his strong arms and shoulders, the steady pace of his breath near her shoulder as they made it across the yard.

He marched them up the front porch, both of them soaking wet from the downpour. He set her down gently, and her tender leg forced a wince of pain, making her reluctant to let Clark go.

"You all right?" he asked, his comforting hand remaining on the small of her back to steady her.

She found herself staring at his rain-soaked shirt, the outlines of his muscled chest visible through the wet fabric. Her gaze traveled upwards to meet his concerned green-blue eyes, his hair dripping wet from the rain. She watched a trail of rain from his hair fall down his cheek, his neck, and into his t-shirt. She resisted the urge to bite her lip. When had Smallville become so sexy?

"Lois? You okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

She nodded her head, but didn't push off his touch. "I'm fine. But I may need to lean on you to make it into the house."

Hobbling now, having delayed taking care of her injury from earlier, Lois let Clark lead her into the kitchen.

He set her down at the kitchen table and told her he'd be right back.

Left alone with her thoughts, Lois couldn't help but feel that something had shifted between them. That maybe she hadn't imagined that moment where they almost kissed at Chloe's wedding. Maybe that since he now finally had closure on the whole Lana drama, there was a chance. A small glimmer of hope that he might feel something for Lois, too.

He came back with a first-aid kit and two small towels. He handed her one, and then dried off his own dripping wet head. Lois scrunched the water out of her locks, her eyes unable to stop from going to him.

"We'll get changed in a minute, but first I want to take care of your injuries," he said, taking out a swab and some alcohol.

He started gently swabbing her face, and she tried not to react to the stinging when the alcohol made contact with her cuts. "Sure you know what you're doing there, Smallville?" she asked, cringing with pain.

"Sorry… Lois, we need to take a look at your leg as well. I'll, uh, get something for you to change into, okay?"

She nodded.

A few moments later he came back, wearing clean t-shirt and jeans. He brought her a fresh towel, a red t-shirt and yellow sleep shorts. "I hope you don't mind. It's all I have clean," he said, seemingly embarrassed.

"Thanks, Smallville," she said, taking what he offered her. "I'll just go change."

She hopped off the table, and then flinched with pain.

"Here, I'll help you," he offered, coming to her side to let her lean on him.

"Thanks."

He helped her as she hobbled to the downstairs bathroom, and Lois reluctantly pulled away from his help as she shut the door to change.

It wasn't easy getting her wet jeans off, not with her leg injured. She eventually peeled them off, feeling like she was being unsheathed from a chrysalis. She inspected her leg, noting that there was no visible wound, but a huge bruise larger than her hand covered the side of her right thigh.

Suddenly, Lois heard the screen door in the kitchen open and she thought she heard Lana's voice.

Lois cracked open the bathroom door, standing in her underwear, to see why Lana had returned. Hadn't Clark's rejection in the barn been final enough?

Clark's back was to Lois, but she could see Lana, tears streaming down her face, holding some spray jar filled with a shiny red liquid, aiming it at Clark.

It looked like Lana had just reached a new level of crazy.

"You're hiding, Clark. You're hiding from me, from yourself. You can't mean what you said, and I'm going to prove it to you."

"Lana, what are you doing?" Clark said with a warning in his voice. He lifted his hands up before him, as if warding off a dangerous weapon.

"Lex may have had his secrets – but I learned as many of them as I could. He refined meteor rocks, believing they held the secrets to the universe. Or maybe, he only hoped they'd tell him_your_secrets."

She sprayed the red liquid at Clark, her tears suddenly gone as she waited to see the reaction of the spray's effect.

After a moment, Clark lowered his hands, and seemed to stand straighter. Lois watched in horror as his whole demeanor suddenly seemed to change. Even the tilt of his head seemed odd, cocky and off-balance.

"Can you honestly say now that you don't love me?" Lana asked desperately, lowering the jar with the red liquid.

He stepped towards Lana, and she looked up at him, slightly fearful. Clark's voice was lower and sensual when he spoke. "I can honestly say that while you're beautiful Lana, and we had some wonderful moments… that if I kiss you, it isn't because I love you. It's because I can't resist that pouty mouth of yours…"

He leaned towards her, his hand coming up to her face, his thumb stroking her lip. Lois was shocked beyond belief, never imagining that Clark would ever talk or act that way. What the hell had Lana sprayed him with?

He leaned into Lana, and the shameless girl reached for him, letting him kiss her.

"Can you honestly tell me that this doesn't mean anything to you?" she asked.

Lois shut the bathroom door, confused and shocked by what she had seen. What did Lana do to Clark? And more importantly, how could she undo it?

As quickly as she could, Lois threw off her wet shirt and put on Clark's old KU shirt. The image of Clark kissing Lana kept replaying in her mind, and she had to keep telling herself that it was the drug Lana had sprayed him with. He didn't love her. He had said as much in the barn… Still, it didn't stop just a sliver of fear, of even jealousy, that somehow Lana would win and would find a way to have Clark, even if it was against his will.

She tugged on the sleep shorts and turned to face the two outside the door. She was afraid how much things could progress in the few seconds it took to get dressed, again wondering what kind of toxic cocktail Lana had cooked up in that jar.

Lois opened the door.

Clark had Lana on the kitchen counter, her legs wrapped around his waist. Clark was nuzzling her neck as Lana had her arms around his.

Lois decided to try to distract them, hoping to keep Clark from making a huge mistake.

"Ahem," she said, limping gingerly toward them. "Sorry to interrupt, but—"

Clark stopped what he was doing, and turned towards Lois, his lips pouty from Lana's kisses. "Lois," he said, in a voice that she'd never heard before, full of passion and gentleness.

Their eyes met and she felt her cheeks burn with the ardor she saw there. Lana tried to turn him to face her, but he stepped out of her grasp.

"Lois, it was you… you were the one -" he said in surprise, making his way towards her.

Lois flashed accusing eyes at Lana. "What the hell did you do to him?" Would Clark turn into a love slave for whatever woman turned his way?

"I—uh—I didn't know you were here," was all Lana managed to say, having the grace to at least look embarrassed.

"Lana!" Lois said with exasperation, as Clark made his way towards her.

"Lois, your leg!" Clark cried in alarm, sounding for a second like the old Clark.

His hand rested gently on the side of her thigh, his thumb rubbing softly over her wound, while his other hand cupped Lois' cheek. "I'll take care of you," he said quietly.

Suddenly, she was in his arms for the second time that night as he carried her over to the kitchen table.

He went to the freezer and got an ice pack and grabbed one of the hand towels that was still lying on the table. He gently laid the towel and ice on her, his gaze boring into hers.

"I can't believe this!" cried Lana, sounding just a tiny bit like a jealous banshee. "This is not how it's supposed to happen!" she cried, trying to pull his arm away from Lois.

"Lana, don't make a greater fool of yourself. You're no longer who I love. In fact, I haven't loved you for a long time," Clark said, his voice suddenly filled with ice.

Lana headed to the kitchen door, angry tears streaming down her face. "Enjoy all the secrets and lies, Lois. They tore us apart, and I have no doubt they will do the same to you." She suddenly flew out the door.

"I wonder if she's gone for real this time," Lois asked, still a bit unnerved by Clark's close proximity and the effects of the potion Lana had sprayed on him.

"Let's see how your leg is doing," Clark said, lifting the ice. He seemed to stare intently at her bruise for a moment before nodding. "It's not broken, just seriously bruised. You should feel better tomorrow."

"Well thank you, Dr. Kent. How do you know it's not broken?" she snipped, feeling gingerly around the bruised area.

He wiggled his eyebrows at her, giving her a wicked grin that made her stomach flip. Clark Kent_never_ looked at her that way.

"Lana's right –to an extent. There are some secrets I'm not willing to share yet… but there are others," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her jaw. "… that I think it's time you know."

"Like what?" Lois couldn't help asking, trying not to drown in the sensation of Clark kissing her. She kept having to remind herself that this was just the cupid's cocktail talking, and the real Clark was only buried in there somewhere.

"Like how I feel about you," he said, lifting her yet again to take her to the sofa in the living room.

"How you-feel?" she found herself asking, mesmerized by this openly passionate Clark.

"Lost… and found at once," he said, his mouth giving her a hungry kiss. "Like we should have been doing this all along… What had I been so scared of?"

"I don't know," she said breathlessly, excitement crawling across her skin as Clark shed his t-shirt and leaned down to kiss her again.

She let herself give into his kiss, for just a moment. Her deep down secret fantasies about Clark were coming true before her eyes—and yet, she knew it wasn't real.

"Clark, wait just a minute. I—I need to think," she said at last, when she could summon enough will power to stop. She tried to scoot way from under him into a sitting position.

"What's there to think about, Lois? Wouldn't you prefer to feel?" he said, his bedroom eyes nearly pulling her back under his spell.

She shook her head and turned away from him. "This isn't right, Smallville. You're under some drug… and I—"

"What?"

She reached for his t-shirt and handed it to him, not looking at him. "Do you mind putting this back on, please? I –can't concentrate with that" –she gestured vaguely in the direction of his god-like chest—"bare before me."

He put his shirt back on, but the sinful grin on his face didn't go away. "Lois, I know you want me."

She glanced at him, relieved to see him fully clothed, even if he was still dangerously close to her.  
"Sure I want you," she splayed a hand on his chest to stop him as he leaned in after that admission. "But I want us to date. A kiss here and there… and then eventually—when we're both ready- more. But not when one of us is on some love potion number nine, okay?"

His face suddenly fell in disappointment. "I see. So you're not really sure how you feel about me, is that it?"

"No, Clark," she began and then sighed with exasperation. "You're all confused because of that toxic cocktail Lana gave you… but we'll figure this out. Maybe it wears off, " she mused aloud.

He grinned again, as if he had a secret. "But until it does, can't we have a little fun?" he asked, using his knuckles to gently stroke her arm.

She groaned aloud in frustration. "Unbelievable! How do I find myself in these messes?" Lois was pretty much trapped, as she couldn't go anywhere this evening with her leg injured. She somehow had to ward off an arduous Clark until she could figure out what to do.

Clark was staring at her with googily eyes, and while he looked delectable, she knew that letting him progress their relationship to a physical level before they were both ready would be disastrous.

Lois grabbed the remote and switched on the television. She clutched it to her chest like a talisman, as if it could ward off Clark's advances. "Ooh, the monster truck rally is on!" she said with excitement and relief.

As Lois started a running commentary on what was going on at the truck rally, Clark slowly edged his way closer to her. He started nuzzling her neck, planting pleasant kisses on her neck and jaw, even as she rambled on about drag trains.

Lois shivered with pleasure, and silently thought that she was being a saint for not giving into Clark's advances.

She turned to him, full of sympathy and maybe even a hint of regret. "Smallville, I simply can't take advantage of you while you are doped up on love drugs."

"But Lois, this is what I really want… I've wanted you for some time, though I was just too afraid to admit it."

How she wanted to believe what he said was true. How she wanted to accept his words at face value. But she knew she couldn't. While they may have a smidge of truth to them, Lois knew it was the love cocktail talking and not the man himself.

"Can't we just watch the truck rally and see how you feel in the morning?" she asked gently.

"If you let me hold you."

"Sure," Lois conceded, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach at the thought of being cozy on the sofa with Clark _and_watching a monster truck rally.

But she should have known better. There was nothing innocent about his embrace. As he started nuzzling her neck once again, she suddenly turned in his arms. "Popcorn. I could really use some popcorn," she smiled sweetly at him.

"Aren't I all the treat you need?" he said with that sexy smile of his.

"Pretty please?" she smiled back.

Reluctantly he nodded and headed off to the kitchen. When he left the living room, Lois reached for her phone and typed a text to Oliver: "Clark's on something – can you get me out of here tonight?"

She was about to press send when Clark spoke. "Who are you texting?" he asked in a dangerously protective manner. He was all the way in the kitchen, and she wasn't sure how he had seen her around the corner.

"Um, just Ollie. He was hurt the other day and I just want to see how he's doing." She quickly hit send.

"Oliver," Clark said, slightly derisive, coming back into the living room with the popcorn. "You still have feelings for him?"

Lois could hear a somewhat jealous tone in Clark's voice, and she wasn't sure he would be reasonable under the crimson potion Lana had given him.

"Oliver and I are ancient history. Like you and Lana?" she tried amicably, making room for him on the sofa, careful not to sit too close to him.

"Lana and I were never really friends when we weren't in a relationship. I was always jealous of how you and Oliver managed to do that…" he sounded for a moment like his normal self, and Lois felt a little sorry for him, seeing how whack-a-doodle Lana could be.

"Clark, it's not your fault," she said gently.

He turned to her, his eyes sensual again as they flickered over her body. "Which is why I'm glad I have you," he said, leaning in to kiss her.

Lois dodged his kiss and reached for the popcorn. Maybe if she could keep her mouth full of food, he'd stop trying to tongue wrestle with her.

"Lois, why won't you kiss me?" he asked, his tone sultry as his knuckles gently rubbed her upper arm.

"Because you're not yourself, Smallville," she quipped, reaching for the remote to turn up the truck rally.

"I've never really been myself around you," he said, his voice cryptically filled with sadness. "Sometimes I'd like to be, though…"

She glanced at him, perplexed by his comment, and then heard her phone beep.

Clark reached it before she could. "Oliver says he's coming," Clark said angrily. "Why would Oliver come here?"

Lois gulped and shrugged. "Look, you're not yourself. I'd just feel better having someone else here—"

"Why Oliver, Lois? You still have feelings for him, don't you? You trust him more than me?" he said, clear challenge in his eyes.

Lois backed into the corner of the sofa, unsure of what she could say that could appease Clark. And she didn't want to kiss him again, afraid of where that would lead. "I do trust you, Clark. Just—not like this," she said honestly. "We have to figure out a way to reverse the effects of that spray Lana used on you. Nice of her not to leave around the remedy," she finished sarcastically.

Clark suddenly smiled wickedly. "I know the remedy."

"You do?" she asked warily.

"Yeah, you. Kissing me," he said, leaning towards her.

She rolled her eyes. "That was corny, even for you. Look, I'm going to bed. It's late…" She dodged his embrace, getting off the sofa.

"But Oliver is coming over," he reminded, waving her phone in front of her.

"Then you talk to him," she retorted flippantly.

She started hobbling towards the stairs, but she refused to ask for Clark's help, sure that it would come attached with some other strings she wasn't ready for.

"Here, let me help you," he said, coming to her side.

"No thanks, Smallville. I don't think it's a good idea," she said, pushing against his chest.

"Lois, let me—"

"I said, 'no thanks!'" she said, pushing him away from her more aggressively, which bumped her into the hall closet door.

She reached for the handle to steady herself, and suddenly wondered if there might not be some crutches inside. That would at least give her some independent mobility.

She opened the closet and reached for the string to turn on the light. Tripping over the vacuum inside, her hand knocked into the upper shelf, sending a small leaden box to the floor.

"Lois what are you doing?" Clark asked.

Curious, Lois reached down for the box and opened it. "Green meteor rock. How—um, interesting," she said, standing up, and then glanced at Clark who had suddenly fallen to his knees.

"Smallville?" she cried in alarm, setting the open box on the counter as she hobbled over to him. "What happened? Are you okay?"

His gaze was focused on the counter, his face contorted with pain. "The box, Lois. Close the box," he gritted out.

Puzzled, Lois did as he asked and closed the box. Clark groaned in relief on the floor.

"What happened?" she asked, suddenly fearful of the contents of the box. Warily, she came over to Clark, uncertain if he still had dark purposes in mind, and helped him up.

"Thanks," he said, seemingly embarrassed about the whole situation.

"Are you all right?"

Clark nodded, "Yeah, uh, I guess that meteor rock counter-acted whatever Lana had sprayed on me."

"Do you remember anything?"

He looked at her, his mouth slightly agape, and she suddenly felt her cheeks flush with the memory of his kisses. "No, not a thing," he said guardedly, and she wondered if he was lying.

"Are you sure?"

Clark nodded. "Yeah, I mean, I remember getting sprayed, and the rock just now—but other than that, I just have a headache… Let's put this away, shall we?" he said, gingerly taking the closed lead box and putting it back in the closet.

"Who knew meteor rock could be so effective-if somewhat painful- against love potions, huh?" Lois commented, still puzzled by what had just happened. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Clark said, not looking at her. "Yeah, love potions.. Um, who knew?"

Lois was still certain that Clark was hiding something, but was willing to chalk it up to embarrassment over his ardor earlier.

"So, do you at least remember your talk with Lana in the barn?" she asked quietly.

Clark nodded. "I do… and Lana—" He looked up with sudden purpose. "She's going to try and stop Davis."

"Hold it there, cowboy. What exactly do you think you can do about it? Look, the Blur will stop him, Clark. There's no need for you to try and do anything."

"Lana doesn't know what she's up against," Clark said.

"And you do?" she stopped him with a hand on his chest. "After what Lana did to you—why not let her fight her own battles?"

"Knock, knock," came a cheery voice from the front door.

"Oliver," Lois said, limping over to greet him with a hug, though careful not to bump his arm, which was still bandaged in a sling. "No worries. The um, potion got knocked out of him. Green meteor rock hiding in the closet did the trick."

"Really?" Oliver said, glancing a Clark with a knowing smile. "Bet that was fun."

"Oliver, we need to talk," Clark said, heading to the front porch.

Lois suddenly felt out of the loop and watched helplessly as they headed to the barn. She knew she couldn't' follow with her leg, even though she'd give anything to know what they were talking about. She thought about the jealousy Clark had revealed about her and Oliver's relationship. Clark seemed cured of whatever that spray had done, but surely Clark wasn't talking to Oliver about that. After the encounter with the green rock, he had immediately returned his attention away from Lois and back to Lana.

Lois sighed. Grant it, Lana was in danger, but it sure rankled just a bit that after her trouble here this evening, she still had Clark trying to find a way to rescue her.

Was that what he wanted to speak to Oliver about?

The other night Oliver had hinted at the fact that Clark knew his secret. Could Clark be enlisting Green Arrow to fight Davis—or even to look after Lana?

Despite everything, Clark's focus always seemed to swing back to Lana. Though Lois didn't want to see anything happen to her either, she couldn't help the stab of jealousy at the thought that Lana still seemed to always get top priority in Clark's life.


	5. Chapter 5

-Wow, I honestly thought I had posted this last chapter! So sorry, folks! Hope you can forgive me!

Disclaimer: A lot of dialogue taken from Season 8, 'Doomsday,' written by Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson. Written for fun and not for profit.

~Part 5~

The next day, Lois redoubled her efforts to look for Chloe.

She knew she was only trying to distract herself from what had happened with Clark since he hadn't seemed to want to talk about it, making her having to repress her own feelings on the matter. And that meant she needed to focus her energy on something.

Chloe needed her help. Smallville sure didn't seem to want it.

Clark never came home last night, having taken off somewhere with Oliver. And though her leg was better, it was still painful to drive. She made it to the Planet on her own though, and even half-hoped to see Clark there.

When he wasn't at his desk, she tried not to feel the lump of disappointment, and instead went to work on tracking Davis' movements through the archives, lining up when she thought Chloe had disappeared and if she could have been with him.

She recalled seeing a black van at the Talon before her run-in with the mob goons and Davis. It had seemed too obvious for it to be Mannheim's thugs' vehicle, which could mean someone else had been trying to locate Davis, probably someone with influential resources.

Tess came to mind, having run endless stories on Davis in the Planet since he started his killing spree, and Lois made a mental note to check her office later for some clues. It was merely a hunch, but quite often, Lois' hunches paid off.

As part of her research, Lois made herself read through all the articles that had been published in the Planet regarding Davis. The stories of Davis' exploits made her stomach turn, and she still couldn't conceive how Chloe could have gone along with it all. She had to believe that Chloe had left with Davis under duress, which was all the more reason to find her as soon as possible.

Lois did as much as she could from her desk. Her leg was getting better, but she wanted to save up her energy for running around town in the afternoon. She called the police station and tried to get some details, asking if anyone had seen a petite blonde on the scene of any of the incidents. She also called the local businesses in the areas of the murders, hoping to find some trace of Chloe.

But she couldn't find a single substantial lead.

"Where are you, Chlo?" Lois murmured to herself.

After hours of research, Lois had a few places she wanted to check out herself. She didn't expect to find much, but at least she could talk to people and would feel as if she was doing something. Clark didn't seem to want her around, and she hadn't heard from him anyway since he talked with Oliver. She was on her own –

Unless the Blur was out there, looking for Chloe too.

That thought gave her a little bit of hope, a small light in the shadows of her heart, between all the fear and insecurity.

At least she still had the Blur on her side.

~\S/~

Lois returned to the Planet later that night, exhausted and disheartened. As she had feared, all of her leads had been dead ends. Chloe was nowhere to be found.

She came into the bullpen, frustrated and tired. And then, there he was—whom she had been simultaneously avoiding and thinking about all day. Clark was sitting calmly at his desk, as if nothing had happened, as if Chloe wasn't on the run somewhere with a notorious monster.

Torn up by the mixed emotions she had felt last night, and the futility she felt in searching for Chloe all afternoon, she suddenly became angry with him. How could he be so calm? She crossed her arms defensively, ready to pick a fight. "Chloe's missing with some beastie boy, and you're doing what exactly?"

He didn't look at her, his attention focused on his screen. "No one wants to find Chloe more than I do," he said evenly.

"Except maybe _me_," she responded, hurt that he wouldn't realize how concerned she'd be for her cousin. "Clark I haven't slept well in days and am dangerously close to a caffeine OD."

"I hadn't noticed," he murmured with just a hint of their old banter, though his eyes still remained intent on his screen.

_Why won't he even look at me?_ She wondered, thinking that maybe he did remember the love potion incident and was simply too embarrassed to even glance her way.

Maybe she wasn't being fair. Maybe seeing Lana again had stirred up some more complex emotions than he wanted to admit. If he didn't want to talk to her about Chloe or Lana, perhaps they could find equal footing again with work. She came over to stand by his shoulder to see what held his interest so intently on his computer. "Do you want to at least tell me about this little novella you are working on that is so important?" she said, her comment coming out more abrasive than she meant.

When she saw his computer, his desktop was empty. Whatever it was he had been working on, he didn't want to share it with her. "No," he said quietly, and it was if a wall had come up around him, nearly breaking her heart. She felt completely shut out.

"Great. Another ricochet off the impenetrable force field," she retorted, clearly hurt. But she still wanted to reach out to him, make amends if it was she he was upset with. She had to try to reach him. "Look, if you're angry about me not telling you about Lana, I get it. I just thought—"

"Lana's left Smallville. I—I said my good-byes to her and she's gone," he said simply.

"I hope she at least apologized for the whole love-potion-number-nine thing," Lois laughed nervously, wondering if his good-bye to Lana was what had put him in such a sour mood. "So, she's not going after Davis?" Lois asked, trying another tactic to break through to him.

Clark shook his head, but still didn't turn around to face her.

"And what happened last night?" she began carefully. "Do you really not remember?" she couldn't resist asking, knowing that his kisses would be indelibly imprinted on her memory for years to come.

He paused a long time, his eyes seemingly fixed on some faraway place that she couldn't see. He was closing himself off to her, and she couldn't understand why. If Lana was truly out of the picture, then it couldn't be that he was angry with Lois. Yet Lois simply didn't see what else she could have done to make him so impossibly shut off from her, unless he realized how foolish he had acted on the love potion and was embarrassed.

But she knew Clark was a bit deeper than that, and he wasn't a petty person. There was something else going on here, something that he didn't want to share with her. And she couldn't make him open up to her if he didn't want to.

"Forget it," she said at last, turning away from him to get more coffee. She already felt a little bit like a fool for how she handled everything, and she wasn't about to put herself out there again. Smallville would come around when he was ready – at least she hoped so.

Suddenly the phone started ringing. It rang a few times, and Lois turned around about to be exasperated with Clark's inability to even pick up a phone in his sour mood. Instead, he was gone.  
Maybe he really was running from her.

She went to her desk and answered it. "Hello?"

"Miss Lane." Those words. In that voice. The Blur. His voice was precisely what she needed to hear.

"It's you," she breathed in relief, the tension in her a moment before suddenly gone.

"I've been searching for your cousin Chloe. I am going to find her."

"To be honest, I have been hoping that's what you were doing. I've been out looking for her all day and there were so many times that I thought you could help-But I didn't know how to call you and then here you are out of nowhere to save the day and-" she stopped herself, hearing how ridiculous she must sound going on and on. "I'm rambling again. You just make me so—" she paused, taking a breath to calm herself. "I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you," she said simply, honestly.

"You can do you me a favor."

To be needed by the Blur sent a thrill through her. Lois felt her heart leap with excitement; she'd do anything for him.

He paused a long moment before answering, "I need you to publish a letter for me."

"What letter?"

Suddenly, a whoosh of wind flew by her, and on the lip of her computer monitor stood an envelope. She looked around, suddenly believing he had to be nearby.

She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the empty newsroom. "You're here, aren't you?"

Lois reached for the letter, unable to wait for further instructions, too intrigued by what the Blur wanted her to publish.

"You're not supposed to open it yet," he chastised gently. She began reading, glancing up now and again, hoping that he actually might be nearby and that she'd spot him. "Can I count on you to publish that letter if anything happens to me?" he asked at last.

She half listened as her mind suddenly was consumed by what she was reading. "Good-bye? What do you mean, 'good-bye'?" she asked helplessly, afraid to imagine a world without the Blur.

One phrase at the end particularly caught her eye: "_but I can't promise that I'll be around forever. One day, there may be a fight I cannot win." __  
_  
"Is it Davis?" she asked quietly. "I know he's dangerous, but surely you—"

"Sometimes we can't outrun our destiny," he interrupted sadly, sounding as if he had indeed accepted his fate.

"I thought you were invincible," Lois spoke, standing from her chair as determination to convince him that he could do this surged through her.

"So did I," he whispered, a despondent note in his voice.

She felt as if something precious was slipping away. The men in her life continually proved to be elusive, yet she couldn't resist asking the one wish of her heart. If he really thought he would die, then she wanted to at least know who he was, to hold at least that bit of him in her heart forever.

"I want to meet you. I _have_ to see your face," she said, almost desperate with a need to reach out to her intangible hero. "I have to see you. I want you to show me what you can't show anyone else. You can trust me."

_You can trust me._ Lois knew how often she said those words, giving her trust to those she cared for. Just once, she'd like that same trust in return…

He took a long moment to answer, and when he did, the defeated tone in his voice tore at her. "I'm sorry, that's not a good idea."

She felt crushed, not just for herself, but for the sadness she heard in him. She had to convince him that he would be all right, that the hero in him would help him survive. "Look, you can come through this. You have to." She suddenly got an idea, remembering how her mother, before sending the General out on another deployment, always gave him something to look forward to when he came home, something to pull him through even in the darkest battles. Maybe, if he felt the same way she did about him, knowing she was waiting for him would be enough. "And when you do, how do you feel about phone booths?"

He seemed slightly amused. "They're fine."

She smiled. "Um, there's the one on Fourth and Main. Let's say midnight? I'll be there. I hope you'll be there too." There was no way to convey on a phone what was in her heart, her trust and love for the Blur. But she hoped that he understood, at least a little, and that her faith meant something to him. "And thank you. If anyone can save Chloe, I know it's you," she said sincerely.

The phone clicked off, and she heard another whoosh.

She felt chills. The Blur _had_ been here.

But she couldn't discount the sorrow she had heard in his voice and she was concerned why he had sounded so despondent. She just hoped that everything would be okay, that somehow he'd find Chloe and find the strength to defeat Davis.

And maybe someday… she'd meet him.

~\S/~

The Planet was quiet for the evening. It seemed that Smallville had left for the night, and Lois thought it would give her a chance to do some reconnaissance anyway. There was one place left she thought she could find something out about Chloe – Tess' office. Since Tess had been running articles about Davis' exploits for the last few weeks, Lois thought that Tess might be tracking Davis' movements as well after seeing the strange black van at the Talon. Lois suspected that if anyone knew anything about where Chloe and Davis were, it would be Tess.

She had no trouble breaking into Tess' office. She didn't dare turn on a light, just in case the night crew or Tess herself was still wandering the halls.

Tess' computer was on, and Lois started trying to access files. They were all encrypted and required a pass code. She wasn't going to be able to access them herself. Suddenly, she heard a noise in the hallway and dived under the desk.

Whoever it was, came in the office and headed to the desk, talking to someone on a cell phone in low tones. She suddenly saw legs come towards her, causing her to cry out as her fingers got stomped on by a foot.

She crawled out, purely annoyed by who had appeared. "Jimmy! You stepped on my hand!"

"Next time don't leave your hand on the floor under a desk in an office you're not supposed to be in!" he spat at her, like a spiteful little brother.

"I'm sorry. Did I just get a lecture from Jimmy Olsen?" Lois retorted, finding his chastisement laughable. She scoffed, but knew there was a more important mission afoot. If Jimmy knew something, then she wanted to know what he knew. "Who were you talking to?"

"No one." Then, clearly irritated, "Lois, what are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Chloe and Davis. I think the head of Tess' security may have been staked out at the Talon apartment. Creepy, but telling. The only problem is her 8 gig mini-brain, is encrypted," she said with a sigh, gesturing to Tess' computer.

"Not anymore," Jimmy answered in triumph, plugging in a USB stick. Suddenly, the files sprang open. There were dozens of pages of tracking records. Lois was impressed and wondered how Jimmy had gotten his hands on such high-tech software. "Tess is definitely tracking Chloe and Davis," Jimmy said, beginning to read through the files. "Most of this is from a couple of days ago. But if I can just get in—" Jimmy started typing, digging to find the most current tracking file. "Bingo. Looks like Chloe and Davis are on the outskirts of Edge City- and so am I!" he said hastily, jumping out of the chair. "Don't take your eyes off them. Let me know if they move," he instructed before diving for the door.

Lois sat down, not as concerned with helping Jimmy as wanting to learn more about Tess' files. The files weren't all tracking stats. Lois became more curious and started clicking through them. One was of a video of some sort of interrogation.

The man in the video had a gash on his forehead, and looked like whoever was asking him questions hadn't been at all friendly about it.

Lois could see the barrel of a gun in the corner of the screen.

_"Tess, Lex already tried to break down the technology of that orb,"_the man said, surprisingly calm for a person in his situation.

_"Lex knew that orb wasn't from this earth,"_Lois heard Tess answer off screen. Lois knew Tess often got her hands dirty, but she had never imagined Tess would go this far.

Tess' voice took on a musing quality, talking about this strange orb._" It called to me. There's life inside of it. It can't be released until the Traveler kills the Beast."__  
_  
Lois watched the video, incredulous. The Beast she conjectured was Davis, but the Traveler? What nonsense was this?

_"What you're unleashing. It could be the end of the world."__  
_  
Lois sat back in her chair, scared by what she heard.

What the hell was Tess messing with?

_Was the Blur the Traveler?__  
_  
If so, then Lois was even more puzzled by Tess' statement.

_There's life inside of it. It can't be released until the Traveler kills the Beast.__  
_  
If the Blur kills Davis, then would he unleash aliens onto the earth?

~\S/~

Lois wasn't going to sit around and wait for Jimmy forever. She checked the tracking monitor after watching Tess' strange video. The blurbs on the screen hadn't budged, and Lois presumed Jimmy would get there in time – hopefully with some help. Meanwhile, Lois wanted to check the archive room to see if there was any reference to this orb or anything alien. Whatever Tess was involved with, Lois was confident that it didn't happen overnight.

Lois took the elevator down to the bullpen to get her keys.

"I kind of miss the maid costume," she heard Tess' snide voice from behind.

"I've stopped cleaning up after you," Lois quipped.

"Could've fooled me," Tess said, and Lois turned towards her, wondering how Tess knew she had been in her office. She was as bad as Lex – surveillance at every turn. "I expect from my reporters a little better reconnaissance, but then again the bar has always been a little bit lower for you, hasn't it?"

Lois knew they could trade insults all day, but her real concern was Chloe. If Tess couldn't understand her need to find her cousin, then that was her own problem. "Look, I know family loyalty means nothing to you. But I would do anything to find Chloe. And if that means you need to fire me, pull the trigger."

Lois started to walk away to her desk, hoping Tess would leave her alone.

"I plan to. But this actually has very little to do with Chloe." Lois stopped and turned to face her again. "You saw it, didn't you?" Tess taunted, a knowing smile on her face.

But Lois was tired, frustrated, and had no time for Tess' games. "Seriously, you have a serious deficiency of pronoun modifiers going on."

Suddenly Tess didn't seem to want to play anymore either. "Lois where is the orb?" she demanded.

Exasperated, Lois shot back, "What orb?"

"The alien technology from my vault."

"Oh, that orb," Lois answered sarcastically, knowing that Tess knew much more about it than she did.

Lois reached her desk, spotting her keys. Just as she grabbed them, Tess suddenly kicked her, knocking Lois practically onto the desk.

She took a moment to get her footing back after Tess' sneaky attack, but realized that Tess wasn't going to let her go without a fight. "I guess asking for severance is out of the question."

"I didn't want this." Tess said, almost apologetically.

Lois turned to face her, baffled by why Tess was suddenly had it out for her. "No. You just want to take over the world with some alien nation."

"I'm trying to save the world!" Tess stated, defiant.

Lois rolled her eyes, having had enough of martyr-complex heroes after her encounter with Lana. "What's wrong with Green Peace?" Lois quipped.

She tried side-stepping Tess, hoping Tess would just let her leave. But Tess was determined to be in her way and grabbed her, throwing her on top of her and Clark's desks.

Lois kicked, and Tess threw her over on her back. They tossed each other around, and Lois wondered what Tess hoped to accomplish by beating her up.

"So I sneaked into your office. Big deal!" Lois said between avoiding jabs and trying to get in one of her own.

Tess, hovering over Lois, grabbed her coat by the lapels. "You know something, don't you?"

"I know you're nuts!" Lois said, knocked back by another punch from Tess. Her body went sprawling, and she found her hand in an open drawer. Seeing Tess gear up for another punch, Lois reached in, needing something to try and hit Tess with to stop her. Her fingers landed on a box. She took it out of the drawer and managed to smack Tess in the head with it.

Both of them landed on the floor.

Lois hoped the fall had knocked out Tess as well.

A little dizzy from the knockdown fight, Lois turned over on her side, spotting an odd golden ring. She picked it up, wondering where it had come from.

It was large and heavy. She barely slipped it on her finger, when she suddenly felt pulled away from her plane of existence.

Quick as sparks of light, Lois saw flickers of images she recognized, yet couldn't understand. Moments of heartbreaking destruction followed by flashes of comfort…

The Kent Farm, turned into an alien prison.

The Daily Planet, abandoned.

Chloe, lying in a pool of blood.

Oliver, assaulted by a wave of arrows.

An apocalyptic nightmare, dominated by a red sun.

Lying in Clark's arms.

Kissing him as if it were the end of the world…

Flying across an evening sky –

Clark, in red and blue, telling her she had to save him…

In a flash of light and energy, Lois vanished.

~~~  
Continued in 'Blurring the Lines'.

I know this last part was pretty much a rehash of the Doomsday Lois scenes, but that was intentional. Hopefully we all have more of a sens of closure with the Lana arc, and I especially wanted to give some more background to the line she tells Clark, "Another ricochet off the impenetrable force field." In the show, there was no evidence that he had ever ignored her.


End file.
